Resolution on Student Safety, Privacy, and Immigration Enforcement

On April 8, the Mercer Island School Board unanimously passed Resolution No. 739, titled “Protecting the Right to Learn: Resolution on Student Safety, Privacy, and Immigration Enforcement,” at the special meeting. The draft was revised by Directors Dan Glowitz and Cristina Martinez. The resolution incorporates OSPI recommendations and Washington state law to ensure equal access to K-12 public education for all students, regardless of immigration status, according to federal and state laws. Due to its urgency, the board expedited the voting process at this special meeting instead of at the April 24 meeting.

HiCap Instructional Program

The board members discussed Hi-Cap data, which led to confusion and disagreement among board members at the last board meeting. Director Glowitz argued that the raw data provided by Learning Services Coordinator Weston Lucas showed growth and defended his prior comment that non-Hi-Cap students demonstrated more growth as accurate. He also emphasized that Hi-Cap students should not be held back for equity and that “their acceleration should be stalled in order for other students to catch up is concerning.”

Director Deborah Lurie countered that the data “doesn’t reflect growth at all,” rather it only compared different grade levels. She rejected Glowitz’s interpretation and refused to debate it further, saying, “I’m not going there with you. Can you mute him?” Lurie also called for more meaningful analysis using i-Ready and Homeroom tools. The board requested future data to include cohort-based growth and agreed to a deeper review of the Hi-Cap program in a future session when more comprehensive data is available.

Public comment policy discussion

The board discussed how to balance public input with completing the meeting agenda after the last meeting’s comment session ran two hours with 34 speakers. Strategies included limiting speaking time, capping the number of speakers, and holding “linkage sessions” for deeper conversations.

Director Lurie proposed replacing the current public input format with one linkage session per semester, saying: “Public input is not just people coming and talking at us.”

Director Jody Lee emphasized, “The priority is to finish the agenda,” and agreed with Lurie on limiting public comments “to a minute.”

Director Maggie Tai Tucker suggested prioritizing speakers who address agenda items. Director Martinez supported both current and linkage session public input formats: “I like it both.”

Superintendent Fred Rundle summarized the challenge: “There’s a delicate balance between getting the public input… and being able to get through your agenda items.”

The board will test time limits at the next meeting and revisit the policy in May.